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May 4, 2013

Fruit of the Month

To the Editor: Before I invest I like to read the most current Barron's articles. I read about both Chiquita and Apple, and I decided to bite into the banana rather than the apple. Apple may have more juice, but the banana is going to be much easier to digest. Apple could take a big fall from a tree, while the banana seems to be closer to the ground. Martin Blumberg Melville, N.Y.

Hearing an Echo

To the Editor: When I saw your April 22 cover-story headline "Dow 16,000!" it rang some bells. So I looked on Amazon, and sure enough, I found two books, Dow 36,000: The New Strategy for Profiting from the Coming Rise in the Stock Market (1999), and Dow 40,000: Strategies for Profiting from the Greatest Bull Market in History (also 1999).

They are great bargains. One cent each plus shipping. Frank Peel Naples, Fla.

Times That Try Men's Souls

To the Editor: Concerning the April 22 Editorial Commentary "A Revolting Development," about the possibility of a tax revolt: I do not like paying ever-increasing taxes, and here's why:

Taxpayers are a decreasing percentage of the population.

I pay about 40% of my income to government, though I earn well less than $200,000.

I have always worked hard, made good choices, saved, and taken care of my family.

An increasing percentage of our government spending goes to social welfare spending on people who more often than not make poor choices, don't work hard, and have no initiative.

Government workers' total compensation is way above the average for all workers.

Supporting business is a no-brainer; it's why Americans enjoy a high standard of living. The United States has a problem with spending and with making poor choices. James Baase Victor, N.Y.

Golden Danger

To the Editor: Michael Kahn's April 15 online article, "Gold May Be Near the Bottom," failed to stress the present risk of investing in gold. Andrew Bary's "A Vein of Hope for Gold Miners" in the April 22 issue and Bill Gross's endorsement of a gold ETF two months ago also ignored this serious risk. None of these gentlemen brought up a comparison between the recent bull market in gold from 2001 to 2011 and the previous golden bull from 1970 to 1980.

That previous gold run reached $850 an ounce in January 1980. But then it took a long, ugly roller-coaster ride down to $250 an ounce by 1999. We won't go that low, but $1,150 in three or four years is a strong possibility.

Our recent gold surge peaked in September 2011 at $1,923 an ounce. Chasing after it now would be as futile as diving into the ocean and trying to catch a distant ship. I suggest that investors should look for one of the other ships still in the harbor. James Parks Fredericksburg, Texas

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